One of my mentors early in my career was always the first in the office in the morning and the last to leave each night. Worked EVERY Saturday and some Sundays. This put incredible stress on me to try to work what would appear to be reasonable hours in comparison to this guy who was a freak and also my boss. I lived about 45 minutes to an hour from the office depending on traffic which added additional stress to the equation. He was only 15 minutes to his house. I was not adverse to putting in the hours (clarify salary position) but I always felt that it was never enough. I came from an hourly tradesman position working outside and I worked nearly every Saturday in order to make up for rain days or short days. I needed to get a full paycheck. I had a family and bills. I was conditioned to work the hours and “pay my dues” as folks like to call it.

Shortly after leaving the company I found out that my mentor was getting a divorce. I’m sure there was a story to this with lots of moving parts but I know that his work hours were a big contributor to this outcome. He was an absent husband and father. He poured his entire life into his work and spent nearly all of his waking hours in the office.

After this event he abruptly changed his work hours. Too late for his marriage, however, he began to work more normal hours and abandoned the “all in” appearance that had defined his past work history.

So what does “all in” look like to you?

Are you judged in a large part by the hours that you put in?

Do you think hours are a true measure of your performance or engagement?

Can you be “all in” and still work normal work hours?

I’ve witnessed a variety of viewpoints on this subject. Some folks use work hours to measure value, commitment and engagement to an organization. It’s an easy measurement. Either you are sitting at your desk or your not. I had a report years ago who never showed up on Saturday and my boss was convinced that they were not engaged and lacked future value based on the lack of Saturday attendance. I approached this employee and suggested that they begin to come in on Saturdays and make sure that they were seen by the boss in order to get “attendance credit”. Almost immediately there was a change in attitude by the boss. He felt that there was a big change when it was simply window dressing.

Then I have seen employees who lay down the law early and makes sure that everyone knows what comes first in their lives- family, kids, church, charity work, hobbies, etc. It seems like they can get a pass if they make it clear early on and stand firm. They can be successful in the organization and still leave at 5:01 every day. In a very strange way it doesn’t seem fair- does it?

So what’s the point here? I don’t believe you should rate your employees performance or engagement based on work hours. Base your judgement on the production of quality work product- period. If they are able to produce in standard work hours then be content and happy for them. They will have a better life and work balance will make them a better employee in the long run. Putting pressure on them to work longer hours and take on an unrealistic amount of work will eventually lead to burn out. And probably an empty seat. My instruction to employees who work a ridiculous amount of hours is: GO HOME! See your family. Have fun. Unwind and relax.

You are not a slave- you have a life. The work will be there when you return.

What do you think? Have you seen someone burn out due to crazy hours? Do you think time at your desk is an accurate measure of worth? Click on “leave a comment” and let me know what you think!

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Kathy was browsing in a gift shop near our home last week and struck up a conversation with the lady clerk. This is not an uncommon thing for Kathy. She has a gift of being able to connect quickly with people. This lady was originally from Columbia (South America not South Carolina) and she has been in the United States long enough to really “get” our culture.

We are so arrogant here. We are convinced that this is where everyone in the world wants to live. We have such great opportunities to make money and it is a safe place to raise a family. These things are important and special, but they are not everything. I believe we have sacrificed some really critical things along the way. We have made choices that have warped our culture. Unconsciously, in our pursuit to be the best, we have changed the way we live, our goals, and our priorities. And I am also guilty.

The lady began to share about her family and her life back in Columbia. She aligned with Kathy’s experiences from Costa Rica. Emphasis on family, friends, relaxation, community.

She shared, “In the U.S., you live to work and back home we work to live.”

Whether intentional or not, we have placed WAY too much emphasis on work and making money. Our lives are wrapped around our work and our careers. Not the other way around. This may not be your choice. You may feel like you want to work less and live more, but can you really do it? Can you really shift your focus away from making money?

Will you be able to pay your current bills?Buy the things you want? Can you really live with less? Can you really do it?

Our culture has raised the bar on expectations so high that we run crazy hard just to try to keep up. Building bigger barns. In the meantime we have lost community. Lost our connection. Our ability to really LIVE together and enjoy life. We’ve lost our focus on taking care of each other.

Where are you?
Are you living to work or working to live?
Can we go back? Do you know how we can get back to where we came from?
What needs to change? What is messing us up?

I just returned from a mission trip to Costa Rica. This was my fifth trip to Costa Rica. The country is full of breathtaking natural beauty. Most folks visit Costa Rica to enjoy this beauty. Many head to the Pacific coast to a resort, maybe surf, or enjoy the excellent offshore fishing.

On our trip, we went to the very poor barrios surrounding San Jose in the central valley. These areas are filled with tin covered shacks packed together on the hillside. VERY, VERY, tough living conditions. Most of these neighborhoods are squatter communities. Very little in sanitation and services that we have come to expect here in the States. It is a bit of a sensory overload visiting these barrios- lots or colors, sounds, smells and movement. Children and dogs everywhere. Sounds of life. Colors cobbled together in scraps of tin and salvaged doors and building materials.

The thing that has always amazed me about Costa Rica is that the Costa Rican’s are generally very happy people. Yes, there is strife and hardship in the poor barrios, yet even there, you will see smiles, laughter and life. If we subjected the average American to the conditions in Costa Rica they would be miserable.

Complaining, heads down, depression.

So who is really poor? We seem to equate the word “poor” to money. We think that money will solve our problems. Money can make us happy. Right?

Well, I got news for you. I have seen the Costa Rican’s lifestyle first hand and I believe they may actually be the rich ones. In the US, we are slaves to our lifestyle. We struggle to gather and save. We strive to buy the best things. We work ourselves to death- really– in order to sustain our wealthy lifestyle.

So how are the Costa Rican’s rich? What makes them rich without the money. Here are a few observations:

They value their families! We talk about having close family relationships but the Costa Rican’s do it on steroids. Most live in the same areas their whole life. In the US, we are transient. We move away from our families, often, again to make more money. Costa Rican’s care for each other when times are tough. In the US, we often let the government take care of our families. In Costa Rica it is common to have extended families living in the same household. They understand what it means to be a family and to take care of our own.

They live slower! In Costa Rica things get done when they get done. If it takes longer they are OK with it. This has been frustrating for me in the past working on construction project in Costa. They don’t fret over the time. We struggle so hard to pack it all in. In Costa Rica, there is alway mañana (tomorrow).

They have strong community! In even the poorest areas, the Costa Rican’s know their neighbors and understand the power of living in community together. They take the time to stop and greet their neighbors. They watch out for their neighbors children. They help each other when they are sick. In the US, most folks don’t even know their neighbors!

They let you in! We are so guarded. We are cautious to let anyone into our lives. Costa Rican’s invite you into their house. They want you to sit down and they will often bring you a drink or some food. They are not worried about whether their house is messy or if they have something really impressive to share. They share what they have. They welcome in strangers. They want you to sit down and relax.

They walk! The streets are filled with life with sidewalks filled with people walking. Walking leads to interaction with others. In the ten years or so that I have been visiting Costa Rica, car ownership has grown significantly, yet walking remains a way of life. Walking up and down mountainous steep paths and walking to shopping and visiting friends is the natural order of things. I am sure that this exercise contributes to the longevity that Costa Rican’s enjoy. Living a life that extends well into their 90s is not uncommon.

So my question again- are we really rich? Seems like the things that we gather and our lifestyle may be more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Can we slow down?

Can we dump the stuff that we end up serving?

Can we take the time to develop community?

I’m not sure that we can go back-completely. The genie is out of the bottle. I can even see Costa Rica changing as we bring them added wealth and raise the expectations. I pray that they can hold on to riches that they have!

So who is really living the rich life? Seems like we have a lot to learn from our friends in Costa Rica!

So what do you think? Are we as rich as we think we are? Have you noticed the difference when you visit other cultures? Click on “Leave a Comment” and tell me what you think!

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What is Leading By Serving?

We are all leaders. We lead families, friends, workmates, and we lead by example. Leadership is not about position. A leader seizes the opportunity to make a difference. They lead from where they are. In this space, I share stories and life lessons on grabbing hold of these opportunities. Making an impact. Changing the world.